Finding the body of a deceased cat can be a very distressing experience, whether it is in a public place or in your own garden. Whilst you may feel it is too upsetting to get close to a dead animal, it’s important to remember that the cat may have a family anxiously waiting for him or her at home.
By overcoming your feelings and taking these few simple steps, you can ensure that the cat’s remains are handled respectfully, whilst also providing closure to families that may be missing a beloved pet.
First of all - check for signs of life
The first, and most important step you must take when you encounter the body of a cat is to ascertain whether the cat is dead, or whether he or she is merely severely injured or unwell.
In some cases, such as when a cat has been involved in a road accident, it may be obvious that he or she has passed away. If you are unsure, however, we recommend:
If the cat is in the road or another dangerous location, then moving him or her to a place of safety is your first priority. Be mindful of traffic and other hazards, and if you have one to hand, wrap the cat in a sheet or blanket when you pick him or her up, as an injured cat may be more prone to scratching or biting.
Observe the cat for signs that he or she is breathing, such as the chest rising and falling. A critically injured cat may take slow or shallow breaths, so watch closely. If you have a pocket mirror to hand, you can also hold it against the cat’s nose to see if the glass is misted by breath.
Check whether the cat’s eyes are open or closed. To hold the eyes closed requires muscle control, therefore a deceased cat will generally have open, or partially open, eyes. You can also shine a torch in the cat’s eyes to see if the pupils retract in response to light - if they don’t, the cat has sadly passed away.
If you believe the cat may be alive and injured, then do not delay in taking him or her to the nearest veterinary practice. You can find your nearest via Google, or through the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons website. If you find the cat outside of ordinary working hours, then locate your nearest ‘out of hours’ emergency vet and take the cat there.
Ideally, the cat should be transported in a secure cat carrier, however, in an emergency, a cardboard box or anything similar that you have to hand will suffice.
The veterinary practice will not expect you to pay for treatment for a cat that isn’t yours, but they may ask you to contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 in order to obtain a voucher to help cover some of the cat’s vet costs.
If you are certain the cat has passed away
If you have checked for signs of life and are sure that the cat has sadly passed away, then we recommend taking the body to your nearest veterinary practice.
The vet will scan the cat for a microchip and will hold the body for a short period for the owner to claim. Many practices also keep a ‘lost and found’ file, and will log the cat’s details permanently, in case an owner comes forward at a later date.
If no owner can be found, then the practice will then typically communally cremate the cat. Whilst the ideal outcome is always that the cat is reunited with his or her owners, this means that the remains have been handled respectfully, at the very least.
If you feel squeamish about handling the body, then we recommend getting an old towel, sheet, or something similar, to wrap him or her in. You can also wear gloves. The cat can then be placed in a cardboard box, cat carrier, or any similar receptacle, for transport to the vet.
At the earliest opportunity, wash your hands thoroughly after handling any deceased animal.
Why is notifying the cat’s owner so important?
Having a much-loved pet go missing can be a devastating experience. Many people will never stop looking for their lost animal, and will continue to search for him or her for years.
If a pet was killed in a road accident and the body merely disposed of by the council, then the owners may never get any answers. This is particularly true of cats, as they often are allowed roam outside without any human supervision. Unlike dogs, there is also no legal requirement to report hitting a cat with your car - legislation that Catcuddles firmly believes should be changed.
By taking the steps outlined on this page to help notify a cat’s owner of their passing, you can prevent families from fretting and wondering about the fate of their pet for an untold amount of time. You can provide much-needed closure, enabling a cat’s owner to grieve for their loss and move on, and to deal with their cat’s remains in whatever way is most comforting to them, like creating a grave or a memorial. That you handled their cat’s body in a caring and respectful manner is also often a source of consolation to a grieving pet owner.
We understand that interacting with the body of a dead animal in any way can be incredibly distressing, but it is ultimately the kindest thing you can do for both the cat and for the people who care about him or her.
Will my local cat rescue centre come and scan the cat for a microchip?
Some cat rescue centres do have volunteers who will come out and scan deceased cats for microchips, including Catcuddles.
However, most rescue centres are extremely busy, with limited volunteer availability, so they may not be able to send a volunteer out right away. In these situations, a fast response is important, as the longer a cat’s body is left in a public location, the greater the chances that he or she will be collected by the council, who won’t necessarily scan the cat or make any effort to locate his or her owners.
Many rescue centres also do not have refrigeration facilities for deceased cats, so will also need to take the cat’s body to the nearest vet if no owner is immediately found through a microchip scan.
We, therefore, recommend that if you encounter the body of a cat, you take it straight to a veterinary practice yourself - where possible.
If you are unable to do so for any reason, however, you can try contacting your nearest cat rescue centre, and can find a list of them by area here. There are also organisations that specialise in scanning stray and deceased animals; a number of these are listed in the ‘Useful Links’ section at the bottom of this page.
If you are located in South East or North London, you can contact Catcuddles about a deceased cat, or bring the cat to our North London Cat Clinic.
Will the council collect the cat’s body?
Most councils have collection services for deceased animals, providing they are located on public property. If you discover a dead cat on your own property, however, removing the body will be your responsibility.
Whether or not the council will scan the cat for a microchip also varies, and is dependent on each council’s individual policy relating to deceased animals. So it’s important to bear this in mind and to check your local council’s policy if you intend to get in touch with them about a dead cat.
If they do not scan for a microchip or otherwise take any steps to identify the cat’s owner, then the owner may never find out what happened to their cat, or the cat’s body may be disposed of against their wishes.
For this reason, at Catcuddles we believe it is preferable that you take the cat to the nearest veterinary practice, as they will both scan for a microchip and also temporarily hold the body for an owner to claim.
Locating the cat’s family
If you have taken a deceased cat to your nearest veterinary practice, then the staff there will scan him or her for a microchip, and if one is found, contact the cat’s owners to notify them of their cat’s passing. You do not need to take any further action.
However, if you so wish, there are other steps you can take to help make the cat’s owners aware.
You might want to put a post on social media, such as local groups on Facebook, with a brief description of the cat, stating which veterinary practice he or she is currently resting at.
If you feel comfortable doing so, you may also want to knock on your neighbour’s doors, or the doors nearest to where the cat was found, as local people may know who owns him or her.
If the cat isn’t microchipped but is owned, then this means the cat’s family may still be able to be reunited with him or her and deal with their cat’s remains in whatever manner they so wish.
What if the cat has a collar and ID tag?
If the cat has a collar and ID tag, stating the owner’s phone number and address, then it is up to you whether you want to try to contact them directly. If you don’t feel comfortable breaking the bad news to a stranger, then a veterinary practice will take responsibility for doing so when you bring the cat to them.
If you have hit a cat with your car
Cats may suddenly dart out into busy roads, and it can be difficult to avoid them when driving, particularly at night. Although you may feel guilty for having hit a cat with your car, we strongly advise that you don’t simply ‘hit and run’, but do what you can to help after the accident has occurred. You will not be liable for any criminal charges.
If you have accidentally hit a cat with your car, then we still recommend undertaking all of the steps outlined above. It’s important to immediately check the cat for signs of life, and if injured, rush him or her to the nearest vet. If the cat has passed away, then a vet can also scan for a microchip and notify the cat’s owners.
According to The Road Traffic Act 1988, you must make a police report if you hit any of the following animals whilst driving: dogs, goats, horses, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and pigs. You are not required by law to make a report if you hit a cat, but by doing so, you may increase the chances of the owners being notified. You can make a report to your local council here.
A note of caution for cat owners
The vast majority of deceased cats that our volunteers are called out to scan for microchips are unneutered male cats. This is because their hormones compel them to travel long distances to defend their territory and find breeding partners, making them more prone to crossing busy roads. They are also likely to fight with other unneutered males, and may be chased out into roads during these altercations. To protect your cat from accidents like these, and to ensure that you are notified promptly if your cat is involved in such an accident, it’s imperative that you neuter and microchip BEFORE letting your cat outside for the first time.
Pregnant and nursing cats
If you find the body of a dead cat that appears to have swollen or protruding teats, then she may have kittens.
Without their mother, these kittens may be at immediate risk, particularly if the cat is a stray and the kittens are therefore living outdoors.
We still recommend taking the cat’s body to the nearest vet to be scanned for a microchip. You can then check with the vet whether the cat was microchipped, as if not, she is more likely to have been a stray.
If the cat was not microchipped, then we suggest searching the area where the cat’s body was found for kittens. Pay close attention to thick foliage or bushes, old garages, or any sheltered, enclosed area that might make a good ‘den’.
You can also try playing recordings of cats and kittens meowing on YouTube, as often kittens will instinctively respond to these by calling out.
You can get assistance from your nearest cat rescue centre if you are unable to locate the kittens. If you are located in South East or North London, you can also contact Catcuddles.
There is also the possibility that a cat with swollen teats was pregnant at the time she died. You may even notice her stomach moving. In this situation, getting the cat to the nearest vet quickly is extremely important - there is a slim chance that a vet may be able to perform an emergency cesarean and save the kittens.
Useful Links
Scan Angels, a UK-wide database of volunteers on call to scan deceased cats and dogs.
The Missing Paw Team, a Bexley/Greenwich based volunteer group that performs microchip scans on deceased cats and dogs.
Animals Lost & Found in Kent, a Gillingham-based organisation that offers microchip scanning and is licensed to store deceased animals.